approval seeking
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You be you
“Forget popularity; focus on sincerity. Do what you do, not for applause, but because it is what is right for you. Practice respecting yourself and becoming a reliable part of your own support system.” ~Angel Chernoff, Marc and Angel Hack Life The word “popularity” still sends me back down Memory Lane to junior high school. And today’s quote from Marc and Angel got me thinking about the difference between sincerity and popularity. When we focus on being popular, we value the number of friends we have rather than the quality of their character, or their compatibility. Likewise, when we try to stay “on trend” with our creative projects, we risk lowering the quality…
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Whose approval do you need?
“I must work harder to achieve my goal of not seeking approval from those whose approval I’m not even sure is important to me.” ~Lauren Graham, American actress Some folks are hungry for attention from virtual strangers on social media. There’s nothing wrong with sharing our gifts or viewpoints with a wider audience. But once in a while, it’s healthy to step back and take a closer look at our motivation for doing so. It’s worth asking yourself whose approval or attention you’re seeking — and why it’s important to you. Are you spending more time trying to impress people you’ve never met? Are you investing the same amount of…
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People pleasing
“I can’t give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: Try to please everybody all the time.” ~ Herbert Bayard Swope, American journalist One of the gifts of aging is the realization that we can’t please everyone. The journalist who’s famous for today’s quote understood that achieving success often involves taking risks. Whether we’re creating a piece of art or expressing an idea in print, we risk upsetting others if we rattle the status quo or challenge a tribal norm. Born in 1882, Herbert Bayard Swope was a famous war correspondent and editor of the New York World. He was the first journalist…
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Who are you, really?
“You are what you are when nobody is looking.” ~Abigail Van Buren Today’s quote invites us to think about authenticity. It’s human nature to present our best image in public, but being truly authentic takes self-reflection and courage. That’s not so easy. Consider all the photo-shopped selfies and stage-managed lifestyles that are posted daily on social media platforms. Once in a while, it’s worth doing a reality check: Who are you when nobody’s looking? ~CL
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Second helpings
“That thing that you are obsessing about — no one else is obsessing about it with the same intensity as you are. People are thinking about themselves. Remember that, and move through your day.” ~Gretchen Hydo Ages ago, I had a college room mate who was too shy to get back in line for second helpings at meal time. She worried that other students in the cafeteria would judge her for overindulging. Enabler that I was, I often returned to the line to fetch a second omelette or slice of chocolate cake for her. As today’s quote reminds us, other people are usually preoccupied with their own thoughts and their…